Gone are the days of being too quick to dismiss a transfer rumour. Many prematurely scoffed at the notion of Philippe Coutinho joining Villa on loan, let alone permanently. There were rumours that Luis Suarez was a target 6 months ago, and those links just won’t go away.
We are a long way from trying to feign excitement when the likes of Danny Drinkwater arrive through the door. Villa clearly have the right policy of acquiring the best emerging talent, with Boubacar Kamara a recent example. However, club CEO Christian Purslow has been clear that Villa will act upon “opportunistic” options that become available. The surprise transfers of the likes of Ings, Coutinho and Chambers for instance.
LUIS SUAREZ
Embed from Getty ImagesSoon to be free agent Suarez has no end of suitors, but at 35 it’s unlikely that these are at the top of end of the elite European Leagues. Indeed, a quick scan of the reputable press suggests that aside from offers back in South America, the Uruguayan could have one last hurrah in either the Premier League (Villa) or Spain (Sevilla).
Although now in the twilight of his career, you cannot fault Suarez’s footballing CV. Stints at Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have delivered a raft of goals, silverware and a fair slice of controversy too.
For Villa, there is of course the connection to former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard and Barca/Liverpool team-mate Coutinho (not the mention Lucas Digne). The question is whether Villa should commit the time and resource to what could only be considered a short-term gamble that could unsettle others at the club.
Villa might also ponder the reputation risk from an player who has sometimes been in the press for the wrong reasons. However, from a commercial perspective, perhaps ‘all publicity good publicty’, as the club looks to elevate its brand more globally?
Embed from Getty ImagesThere is of course the fact that Suarez would bring a careers worth of experience into Villa’s strike-force. This would not be to say he could surpass the likes of Watkins or Ings in Gerrard’s plans, but few defenders would relish the image of Suarez on the touchline with 20 minutes left to play. However, the La Liga winner is known to want to move with some guarantee of regular football; there is a reason he’s scored 436 goals after-all.
The interesting part to this rumour is that it stubbornly refuses to go away. There are similarities to the Coutinho coup, particularly as there doesn’t appear to be consensus in the press. Some are outright dismissing the suggestion, wheareas other reports indicate a move for Suarez is very much “under-consideration”. As we have said before, dismiss this rumour at your peril!